Afghanistan: Macedonian Army

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 24 April (WA 1), what percentage of financial costs will be met by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to cover the planned deployment of FYROM's troops to support the headquarters group of the United Kingdom-led allied rapid reaction corps during the latter's nine-month command of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force operation.

Lord Drayson: I refer the noble Lord to my reply to his previous Question on 24 April 2006 (Official Report, col. WA 1). The United Kingdom is currently engaged in concluding a memorandum of understanding with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) which will set out the detail of the financial arrangements covering the planned deployment of FYROM's troops to Afghanistan. I cannot provide these details, but expect FYROM to cover the majority of financial costs that result from the deployment of its forces.

Armed Forces: Future Aircraft Carrier

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For what purpose a mission system is required for the future aircraft carriers.

Lord Drayson: The mission system for the future aircraft carriers (CVF) will deliver the majority of the functionality required to support the platform's operational capability. It will enable air traffic management and tactical control of the carrier strike aircraft, support the planning, execution and debrief of carrier strike missions and facilitate the defence, safe navigation, logistical support and administration of the CVF.

Armed Forces: Future Aircraft Carrier

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will outline the work to be done under the contract reportedly awarded to Insyte for the demonstration phase of the future carrier mission system.

Lord Drayson: BAeS Insyte has been contracted to undertake mission systems system design work and related project management activities.

Armed Forces: Joint Strike Fighter

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What sums in cash they have so far paid in respect of the joint strike fighter project; to whom; and on what dates.

Lord Drayson: The United Kingdom has contributed $812 million since 2001 up to 31 March 2006 to the United States JSF joint project office as part of its overall contribution of $2 billion to the system design and demonstration phase. An additional £41.5 million has been spent on UK national work over the same period.

Armed Forces: Joint Strike Fighter

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What sums in cash they are already committed to pay in the future in respect of the joint strike fighter project; to whom; and on what dates.

Lord Drayson: The United Kingdom has agreed to contribute to the JSF project office for the system design and demonstration phase up to $2 billion which includes $812 million paid to date. An additional £600 million, including the £41.5 million spent up to 31 March 2006 is expected to be committed to UK supporting studies.

Armed Forces: US Bases

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are investigating an alleged assault by United States military personnel on a British citizen at USAF Croughton on 19 February; and, if not, which body has the duty to investigate any such allegation.

Lord Drayson: The alleged assault, at RAF Croughton, has been recorded as a crime by the Ministry of Defence Police and will be investigated.

Armed Forces: Voter Registration

Lord Garden: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the results of the Defence Analytical Services Agency survey on armed forces voter registration expected at the end of March are now available; and whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Lord Drayson: The Defence Analytical Services Agency has completed its report on the survey into Armed Forces voter registration and the results are currently being considered. We intend that the report will be published shortly.

Birth Defects

Lord Walton of Detchant: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of the United States' March of Dimes Global Report on Birth Defects, what action they are taking to support the World Health Organisation and other relevant agencies in their international programmes directed towards reducing the toll of preventable birth defects, not only in developed countries, but more especially in developing countries.

Baroness Amos: Some of the recommendations mentioned in the March of Dimes report cover areas which the international development community strongly promotes: family planning, control of communicable diseases in women of reproductive age (such as syphilis, HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis and malaria), and the importance of nutrition.
	The UK Government, through the Department for International Development and the Department of Health, provides core budget support to the World Health Organisation and other agencies, such as UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which work in these areas.
	UK funding, policy and programming for developing countries is focused on those activities that are likely to have the greatest impact on the main causes of newborn and childhood deaths, which include diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria, measles and AIDS, which are responsible for over half of these deaths. Around 40 per cent of all child deaths take place within the first month of life (and mostly within a few hours of birth). This is why the UK Government focus on millennium development goal 5 (Improve maternal health), as part of the wider efforts to reach millennium development goal 4 (Reduce child mortality).

British Citizenship

Lord Dholakia: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 18 April (WA 164) and having regard to Paragraph 4.72(3) of the Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords, whether they will place in the Library of the House documents, dated 5 July 2002 or earlier, pertaining to Section 4B of the British Nationality Act 1981.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: There is only one such document, a submission to Ministers dated 19 June 2002. A copy of this document will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Children: Parental Drug and Alcohol Use

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many children in (a) England and Wales, and (b) the United Kingdom are affected by foetal alcohol syndrome.

Lord Warner: We do not hold this information centrally.

Children: Parental Drug and Alcohol Use

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the impact of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on the likelihood of miscarriage.

Lord Warner: In 1995 the Government considered the evidence on the effects of alcohol in pregnancy, including the risk of miscarriage for their report Sensible Drinking Message: Report of an inter-departmental working group.
	The risks of excessive drinking during pregnancy are well documented, and for this reason the Government recommend that women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant do not drink more than one to two units of alcohol per week.
	In addition, in 2005, the Department of Health commissioned an independent academic research review of the foetal effects of low to moderate perinatal alcohol exposure including the risk of miscarriage and is due to receive and consider the final peer-reviewed report shortly.

Civil Service: Staff Attendance

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the average attendance of staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service during 2005; and how that figure compares with that for the rest of the United Kingdom.

Lord Rooker: Non-attendance of staff may be due to a variety of reasons such as annual leave entitlement, sickness absence, special leave, maternity leave, paternity leave or adoption leave, for example. As attendance records are not readily available in the form requested, the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Common Agricultural Policy: Single Farm Payment

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether 2005 single farm payments which are made after 5 April will be liable for taxation payable in advance of receipt of the payments.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: It is unlikely that income tax (the tax most in question) will be payable on single farm payments before those payments have been received.
	Single farm payments due during 2005 become subject to income tax as part of the profits of a farmer's trade included in his accounts for a period of account ending in the 2005–06 tax year (or, in some cases, in the 2006–07 tax year). The first income tax payment to reflect any single farm payments for 2005 will be the final instalment of income tax payable in respect of the 2005–06 tax year, which is not due until 31 January 2007. If the single farm payments are taxed as part of the profits for the 2006–07 tax year, that instalment of income tax will not become due until 31 January 2008.

Compensation: Miscarriages of Justice

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many claims for compensation for miscarriages of justice are outstanding after (a) one year; (b) two years; (c) three years; (d) four years; and (e) five years or more.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: As at 30 April, 54 applications for compensation were awaiting a decision on eligibility. Eleven of these applications are over a year old. At the same date, 142 applications had been approved as eligible for compensation but had not yet received a final assessment. Of these, 29 were approved less than one year ago, 41 two years ago, 20 three years ago, 16 four years ago and 36 five or more years ago. Around 77 per cent of those approved as eligible for compensation have received an interim award.

Compensation: Miscarriages of Justice

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will review the compensation principles set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Yes. I refer the noble Lord to the Statement I made on 24 April 2006 (Official Report, cols. WS 3–6) setting out changes to the compensation schemes following a miscarriage of justice. The ex gratia scheme has now been abolished and changes are proposed to the way in which compensation is assessed under the statutory scheme. Some of the proposals will require legislation.

Consultants: Department of Trade and Industry

Lord Smith of Clifton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much was spent in each year on external management consultants by the Department of Trade and Industry and its agencies from 2000 to 2005.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Central records indicate that the cost to the department of engaging external consultants and advisers in each of the following financial years has been as follows.
	
		
			  
			 2000–01 £36 million 
			 2001–02 £64 million 
			 2002–03 £93 million 
			 2003–04 £112 million 
			 2004–05 £86 million 
		
	
	Of this the expenditure for "external management consultants" can only be identified for the period 2003–04 onwards and in each financial year amounted to:
	
		
			  
			 2003–04 £1,107,186 
			 2004–05 £2,005,669 
		
	
	Total expenditure on external consultants and advisers by each of the executive agencies in the period 2000–05 has been:
	
		Companies House
		
			  
			 2000–01 £565,000 
			 2001–02 £504,000 
			 2002–03 £674,000 
			 2003–04 £931,000 
			 2004–05 £664,000 
		
	
	
		Employment Tribunals Service
		
			  
			 2001–02 £119,255 
			 2002–03 £457,757 
			 2003–04 £441,838 
			 2004–05 £384,907 
		
	
	
		The Insolvency Service
		
			  
			 2000–01 Nil 
			 2001–02 £125,000 
			 2002–03 Nil 
			 2003–04 £34,000 
			 2004–05 Nil 
		
	
	
		National Weights and Measures Laboratory
		
			  
			 2000–01 £64,087 
			 2001–02 £80,920 
			 2002–03 £71,010 
			 2003–04 £68,119 
			 2004–05 £53,837 
		
	
	
		Patent Office
		
			  
			 2000–01 £26,000 
			 2001–02 £53,000 
			 2002–03 £69,000 
			 2003–04 £32,000 
			 2004–05 £10,400 
		
	
	Within these total expenditure figures the spend attributable to "external management consultants" in each case amounts to:
	
		Companies House
		
			  
			 2000–01 Nil 
			 2001–02 Nil 
			 2002–03 Nil 
			 2003–04 Nil 
			 2004–05 Nil 
		
	
	
		Employment Tribunals Service
		
			  
			 2000–01 Not Available 
			 2001–02 Not Available 
			 2002–03 Not Available 
			 2003–04 Nil 
			 2004–05 Nil 
		
	
	
		The Insolvency Service
		
			  
			 2000–01 Nil 
			 2001–02 £125,000 
			 2002–03 Nil 
			 2003–04 £34,000 
			 2004–05 Nil 
		
	
	
		National Weights and Measures Laboratory
		
			  
			 2000–01 Not Available* 
			 2001–02 Not Available* 
			 2002–03 Not Available* 
			 2003–04 Not Available* 
			 2004–05 Not Available* 
		
	
	* Total expenditure is estimated to be less than £20,000 on external management consultants in the period 2000 to 2005.
	
		Patent Office
		
			  
			 2000–01 Nil 
			 2001–02 Nil 
			 2002–03 Nil 
			 2003–04 Nil 
			 2004–05 Nil 
		
	
	Further information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Disabled People: Employment

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the average gross hourly pay of a disabled person compared to the average gross hourly pay of a non-disabled person; and
	How many disabled people of working age there are in employment, broken down by gender and region; what percentage of all disabled people of working age these numbers represent; and what are the equivalent percentages for non-disabled people; and
	What is the number of disabled people in employment compared to the number of non-disabled people, broken down by occupation.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter to Lord Morris of Manchester from the National Statistician, dated May 2006.
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about disabled people in employment and their earnings (HL5332, HL5334 and HL5331).
	Table 1 shows the employment levels and rates of disabled and non-disabled people of working age by gender and region.
	Table 2 shows employment levels for disabled and non-disabled people of working age by occupation.
	Table 3 shows the mean gross hourly earnings of disabled and non-disabled employees of working age.
	All three tables are covering the latest available period which is the three months ending February 2006.
	Estimates are taken from the Office for National Statistics' Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		Table 1: Disabled1 and non-disabled people of working age2 in employment -- United KingdomThousands and per cent
		
			  Disabled 
			  Total   Male   Female 
			 Three months ending February2006 (not seasonally adjusted) In Employment Employmentrate3 (%) InEmployment Employmentrate3 (%) InEmployment Employmentrate3 (%) 
			 United Kingdom 3,505 50.0 1,853 51.6 1,652 48.4 
			 North-east 157 42.2 78 39.5 79 45.1 
			 North-west & Merseyside 382 43.8 202 42.9 181 44.7 
			 Yorkshire & Humberside 323 51.9 176 54.9 146 48.8 
			 East Midlands 282 57.5 150 59.0 132 55.9 
			 West Midlands 297 48.1 154 50.7 143 45.7 
			 Eastern 334 58.0 181 61.5 152 54.3 
			 London 372 45.5 195 47.8 176 43.2 
			 South-east 505 60.3 260 62.4 245 58.2 
			 South-west 309 55.7 168 57.7 141 53.5 
			 Wales 174 42.0 93 44.4 81 39.5 
			 Scotland 304 47.6 157 48.3 148 46.9 
			 Northern Ireland 67 35.1 40 40.2 27 29.6 
		
	
	Source: ONS—Labour Force Survey
	1 Includes those who have a long-term disability which substantially limits their day-to-day activities and those who have a long-term disability which affects the kind or amount of work they might do.
	2 Working age refers to men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59.
	3 Refers to the percentage of working age people in employment as a proportion of all working age people in the relevant group.
	
		Table 1(Continued): Disabled1 and non-disabled people of working age2 in employment -- United KingdomThousands and per cent
		
			  Non-disabled 
			  Total   Male   Female 
			 Three months ending February2006 (not seasonally adjusted) InEmployment Employment rate3 (%) InEmployment Employmentrate3 (%) InEmployment Employmentrate3 (%) 
			 United Kingdom 23,672 80.2 12,899 84.9 10,774 75.1 
			 North-east 916 79.5 488 84.1 428 74.9 
			 North-west & Merseyside 2,612 80.9 1,401 85.3 1,212 76.4 
			 Yorkshire & Humberside 1,951 80.3 1,064 84.7 888 75.6 
			 East Midlands 1,722 81.8 929 85.9 793 77.5 
			 West Midlands 2,042 79.1 1,139 84.3 903 73.5 
			 Eastern 2,245 81.3 1,225 86.7 1,019 75.6 
			 London 2,989 74.2 1,685 80.9 1,304 66.9 
			 South-east 3,405 82.2 1,860 87.2 1,545 76.9 
			 South-west 2,013 83.1 1,084 87.1 928 78.8 
			 Wales 1,069 79.9 574 83.1 495 76.5 
			 Scotland 2,038 82.1 1,085 85.5 952 78.4 
			 Northern Ireland 670 77.7 365 82.6 305 72.6 
		
	
	Source: ONS—Labour Force Survey
	1 Includes those who have a long-term disability which substantially limits their day-to-day activities and those who have a long-term disability which affects the kind or amount of work they might do.
	2 Working age refers to men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59.
	3 Refers to the percentage of working age people in employment as a proportion of all working age people in the relevant group.
	
		Table 2: Disabled1 and non-disabled people of working age2 in employment by occupation3 -- United KingdomThousands
		
			  DisabledNon-disabled 
			 Three months ending February 2006 In employmentIn employment 
			 Not seasonally adjusted Total Male Female Total Male Female 
			 Total4 3,505 1,853 1,652 23,672 12,899 10,774 
			 Managers and Administrators 471 308 163 3,634 2,405 1,229 
			 Professional Occupations 375 206 169 3,120 1,808 1,312 
			 Associate Professional and Technical Occupations 454 212 242 3,471 1,764 1,708 
			 Clerical and Secretarial Occupations 444 100 344 2,806 611 2,194 
			 Craft and Related Occupations 398 365 33 2,654 2,460 194 
			 Personal and Protective Service Occupations 298 52 246 1,833 278 1,555 
			 Sales Occupations 279 80 199 1,825 585 1,240 
			 Plant and Machine Operatives 316 274 42 1,734 1,518 216 
			 Other Occupations 455 246 209 2,549 1,438 1,111 
		
	
	Source:ONS—Labour Force Survey
	1 Includes those who have a long-term disability which substantially limits their day-to-day activities and those who have a long term disability which affects the kind or amount of work they might do.
	2 Working age refers to men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59.
	3 Based on the standard occupational classification (SOC) 2000.
	4 Total includes those who did not state their occupation.
	
		Table 3: Mean gross hourly earnings1 of disabled2 and -- non-disabled employees of working age3United Kingdom
		
			 Not seasonally adjusted 
			 Three months endingFebruary 2006 Total Disabled Non-disabled 
			 Total 11.09 10.25 11.22 
			 Male 12.38 11.07 12.57 
			 Female 9.75 9.47 9.79 
		
	
	Source:ONS—Labour Force Survey
	1 Respondents whose hourly pay is £100 or over are excluded from the sample.
	2 Includes those who have a long-term disability which substantially limits their day-to-day activities and those who have a long-term disability which affects the kind or amount of work they might do.
	3 Working age refers to men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59.

Drivers: Parking Fines

Viscount Goschen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What regulations govern the level of parking fines.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Where decriminalised parking is not in force, parking offences are enforced by the police service. The level of fine for a criminal parking offence is set by Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 and the level of fixed penalty is set by order made under that Act. The most recent order is the Fixed Penalty (Amendment) Order 2003, S.I. 2003, No 1254.
	Where decriminalised parking is in force, parking contraventions are enforced by local authorities. Outside London, the levels of additional parking charges (including penalty charge notices) for parking contravention are set in accordance with procedures in the Road Traffic Act 1991 and the order under that Act putting decriminalised parking in place in the local authority. In particular they must be set in accordance with guidance from the Secretary of State. Inside London, the level of additional parking charges (including penalty charge notices) is set in accordance with procedures in the Road Traffic Act 1991. A local authority must set the level of such charges in conjunction with a joint committee and subject to the approval of the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State.
	Local authorities outside London must chose between one of three penalty charge notice (PCN) levels: £40, £50 and £60. London authorities must chose between PCN levels of £60, £80 and £100. There is a discount of 50 per cent for PCNs paid within 14 days. An authority may use different PCN levels in different parts of their area but few do.

Families: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 29 March (WA 117), which towns in Northern Ireland have child contact centres; how much funding each centre received during (a) 2003; (b) 2004; and (c) 2005; and how much funding is planned for each centre in the current year.

Lord Rooker: The information requested is shown on the table below.
	These figures exclude the additional £500,000 from the Children and Young Peoples Package, which will be made available from April 2007.
	
		
			 Contact centre 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 
			 *Armagh N/A N/A 20,000 20,000 
			 Ballymena 0 0 0 0 
			 Central Belfast 0 5,000 5,000 5,000 
			 Cloona, west Belfast 71,667 71,962 73,114 196,000 
			 Knock, east Belfast 13,000 8,000 8,000 8,000 
			 Carrickfergus 0 0 0 0 
			 Coleraine 0 0 0 0 
			 Mid-Ulster, Cookstown 15,777 17,994 19,475 19,962 
			 Foyle 0 0 0 0 
			 Omagh 0 0 0 0 
			  100,444 102,956 125,589 248,962 
		
	
	* New Centre opened 2005

Food

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With regard to the vote in the European Parliament on the common position on the proposed European Community regulation on nutrition and health claims made on food in March (a) whether they support the outcome of the vote; and (b) whether they will support the motion in the plenary vote in May.

Lord Warner: The United Kingdom Government were a party to the Council's common position discussed and voted upon in March by the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee of the European Parliament. In common with other member states, the UK could not support all the proposed amendments. Negotiations to resolve differences continue between the Parliament and Council. The Government could support the motion in the Parliament's plenary vote if it reflects agreement of a proportionate measure which protects consumers without imposing undue burdens on small businesses.

HIV: Contaminated Blood Products

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are now able to agree an extended programme of funding, similar to the three-year settlement that concluded on 31 March, to the Macfarlane Trust responsible for administering the fund to support haemophiliacs infected with HIV through contaminated National Health Service blood products and other beneficiaries; and, if not, when an announcement will be made; and
	Whether, if the Macfarlane Trust, responsible for administering the fund to support people with haemophilia infected with HIV by National Health Service contaminated blood products and others, were to receive external funding, there would be an equivalent reduction in support from the Department of Health; and
	What consultations there have been with the Macfarlane Trust in respect of the business case for an increase in the cash allocation to the fund administered by the trust to support people with haemophilia infected with HIV by National Health Service contaminated blood products and other beneficiaries.

Lord Warner: The Department of Health has not yet finalised the budget allocations for the current year from which the Macfarlane Trust is funded. It is our intention to continue funding this trust on a year-to-year basis. We are still considering the business case for extra funding for this trust. We have seen no indication that any external funding is likely for this trust.

Immigration: Economic Impact

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What studies they have made of the impact of immigration on gross domestic product per capita in the United Kingdom; and what were the results.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Government have a close interest in the economic effect of migration and believe that immigration is broadly positive for the UK, boosting labour market flexibility and economic growth. This view has been endorsed by a recent European Commission report that studied the impact of the accession to the European Union of central and eastern European countries in May 2004 1 .
	The latest official statistics (summer 2005) show that around 10½ per cent of people above the age of 16 were migrants, defined as people not born in the UK. Migrants typically have lower employment rates than the UK average, around 5 per cent lower, but typically earn 8 per cent more. Assuming that the higher earnings signify that migrants are, on average, more productive, this would indicate that migrants contribute around 11 per cent to total gross domestic product, and cause a small but positive increase to gross domestic product per capita.
	1 Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions—Report on the Functioning of the Transitional Arrangements set out in the 2003 Accession Treaty (period 1 May 2004—30 April 2006).

International Development: Emergencies

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of possible improvements to international emergency responses following (a) the Asian tsunami; (b) the recent earthquake in Pakistan; and (c) the drought in the Horn of Africa nations.

Baroness Amos: The Government have been concerned for some time that the international humanitarian system is under-performing, and in December 2004, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development proposed a package of six key reforms to improve the effectiveness of emergency response. The six reforms are:
	establishment of a new global humanitarian fund;
	strengthen the UN humanitarian co-ordinator system;
	common donor funding for the humanitarian co-ordinator to deploy on the most urgent unmet needs, as identified in improved country common humanitarian action plans;
	development of global benchmarks to measure humanitarian response performance;
	increased donor focus on "forgotten" or under-funded, emergencies;
	increased donor funding for disaster risk reduction, and the UN international strategy for disaster reduction.
	The United Nations is taking forward these reforms, with the support and participation of the wider donor community, including the UK, the NGO community, and the Red Cross movement. In December 2005, a new upgraded UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was approved by the UN General Assembly. It was launched on 9 March 2006 with $254 million from 38 donors, including $70 million from the UK. The CERF will enable UN humanitarian agencies to respond rapidly to sudden disasters, such as earthquakes; time-critical responses in slow-onset disasters, such as famines; and essential life-saving actions in ongoing but under-funded crises. The first payments from the fund have been made for the drought in the Horn of Africa, and the deteriorating conflict situation in Côte D'Ivoire.
	A number of proposals for strengthening the UN humanitarian co-ordinator system are being taken forward, including developing a pool of suitable candidates and associated training. Alongside this, the UK is leading seven other donors in piloting pooled country level funding in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo during 2006. The UK is also providing support to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in developing a set of global humanitarian performance benchmarks, initially for mortality, nutrition, and health. The Government have supported progress over the past 12 months in reforming the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, and also launched their new Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy in March 2006.
	In September 2005, the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which deals with humanitarian issues, established a new "cluster" system to deliver more accountable and predictable humanitarian response. Certain agencies have responsibility for co-ordinating the response in key under-performing sectors, and developing networks, or clusters, of other agencies and NGOs to work together to improve capacity, performance, and effectiveness. The UK Government are currently considering, along with other donors, how best to support this initiative.
	In January 2006, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development called for further reform of the international humanitarian system by improving the quality and focus of the UN Flash Appeals system; developing agreements on the use of military assets; and for more accountability in humanitarian response on funding, performance, and impact of assistance on beneficiary communities.
	The Government will consider carefully the findings and recommendations of the forthcoming inter-agency evaluation of the response to the Asian tsunami, and any reviews of the Pakistan earthquake, to assess whether further improvements to the international humanitarian system might be necessary. It is too early to assess the impact of the response to the Horn of Africa drought.

International Development: India and Pakistan

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What recent steps they have taken through aid and other programmes to increase economic and education opportunities in (a) India, and (b) Pakistan in order to reduce poverty.

Baroness Amos: India
	DfID's largest aid programme is to India, where we provided £245 million in 2005–06. All DfID's support is aimed at reducing poverty, which as we know has many, inter-linked dimensions, including low levels of income, assets, literacy and well-being. DfID's largest programmes in India are in education and health which have an indirect but very significant impact on economic opportunities for the poor.
	India is making impressive progress in growing its economy and reducing income poverty, and DfID contributes to this in a number of ways. Nationally, working with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), DfID assists the Government of India to make their increasingly open trade regime deliver their potential for promoting sustainable growth and reducing poverty. In Orissa, one of the poorest states in India, DfID is working with the Government to improve the investment climate through measures such as simplifying regulations facing businesses. DfID supports several micro finance programmes to promote access to credit and other financial services to poor people, both within India and in having better information about money transfer services for remittances from family and friends working abroad.
	DfID supports rural livelihood programmes in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, which are designed to improve economic opportunities for poor people through increasing access to markets and diversifying livelihoods in the agricultural and non-farm sectors.
	DfID supports governments and municipal authorities in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh in efforts to improve urban management and the urban environment, particularly for poor people and slum-dwellers. Many aspects of these programmes will increase economic opportunities—e.g. by reducing the cost or time to fetch clean water, by improving roads to better link people, jobs and goods and services. There is also a local economic development component to these programmes, including business or skills training and grants for starting small businesses.
	DfID also assists the Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh with power sector programmes which are designed to improve efficiency and financial sustainability of the power sector in these states. Better-run services should reduce power outages and so remove a major constraint on firms' productivity, increasing investment and jobs in a range of sectors.
	To increase educational opportunities, for the past two years DfID has been supporting the Indian Government's flagship Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) universal elementary education programme, together with the World Bank and the European Commission. DfID's commitment is £210 million over the five years 2003–04 to 2007–08. SSA is the central government's prime vehicle for delivering on the universal primary education MDG and the 2002 constitutional amendment that made elementary education a fundamental right. The aim is to ensure that by 2015 all children in India are receiving eight years of basic education of acceptable quality, regardless of sex, caste, creed, family income or location.
	SSA is a priority for the Indian Government, who have greatly increased their funding of the programme in the past two years, in part funded by an earmarked tax. Large numbers of teachers are being recruited and trained, teaching and learning materials are in mass production, new schools and classrooms are under construction and there has been a huge drive to get children into school. Remarkable progress is being made:
	enrolments for 2004–05 among the 6–14 years age group have reached 94 per cent (201 million children);
	the number of out-of-school children has fallen from 25 million in 2003 to 13.5 million in March 2005;
	drop out rates have fallen; and
	strong progress has been made towards gender and social equity, including for scheduled caste children and children with disabilities.
	The remarkable progress with SSA is helping to ensure that all girls and boys in India can have the opportunity to complete a full course of primary education, though further large-scale investments in the primary education system are needed to achieve that.
	DfID and other UK government departments are also supporting the Indian Government to access information, ideas and experience from the UK and elsewhere in diverse areas of education and skills development.
	Increasing economic and education opportunities is recognised and appreciated by our partners in India and is set to remain a key part of our support to India.
	Pakistan
	DfID Pakistan became a fully devolved operation in Islamabad only at the beginning of 2005. It has agreed a country assistance grant programme worth £236 million with the Government of Pakistan for the period 2005–06 to 2008–09. Poverty reduction in all its many facets is the central focus of the programme, which operates under three major pillars: (a) income growth (including access to microfinance), (b) accountability of the state to its citizens (good and better governance) and (c) service delivery (including education, health and water and sanitation).
	DfID recently released the first £20 million tranche of the £85 million poverty reduction budget support programme to the Government of Pakistan. Among the indicators for the first year is a requirement for increased social sector spending by the Government. This increased money in the Government of Pakistan's budget will have a national impact on improved education in Pakistan.
	In addition to this, 17 per cent of the recently approved devolved social services programme in Punjab (total value $220 million) will be spent in the education sector, with a significant emphasis on adult literacy, a major issue for Pakistan where over 40 per cent of the population is illiterate. The aim of the programme is to achieve progress on the millennium development goals related to poverty, gender, education, health, and water and sanitation, with the purpose being to strengthen devolved social services for more equitable, efficient and sustainable delivery of social services in Punjab.
	In direct education programming, we are providing £700,000 of funding to the National Education Assessment System, in collaboration with the World Bank. This programme is a government-led system of testing to establish quality of learning and the factors that influence that learning. Findings from the tests will help the Government of Pakistan better to address areas of concern in the education system, such as curriculum and teacher training, thereby improving the overall quality of the education system.
	DfID is actively supporting the Government of Pakistan's Poverty Reduction Strategy, which focuses on increasing incomes and employment opportunities for the poor through sustained economic growth. DfID poverty reduction budget support is aimed at helping the Government of Pakistan achieve their targets of accelerating economic growth while providing adequate social safety nets for the marginalised.
	On economic opportunities for the poor, DfID is providing £20 million for increasing access to micro-finance through two large NGOs, the Kashf Foundation and Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN). With DfID support, Kashf is targeting to increase its clients (mostly poor women) from 75,000 to 300,000 in five years. The RSPN programme provides micro-finance, social mobilisation and building small-scale infrastructure to improve livelihoods.
	DfID is also helping the Government of Pakistan to improve access to finance through analytical studies and information sharing on global best practices. The Government have asked us to support a household survey that would ascertain a baseline on access to financial services in Pakistan. As part of this programme, we recently submitted a report to the Government on the potential for increasing the level of remittances (mostly from the UK) to re-habilitate the earthquake affected household in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
	DfID is also helping to improve the enabling environment for investment and private sector development. In this connection, DfID is providing £12 million to support a tax administration reforms programme. The programme aims at improving the tax administration culture through automation, capacity building and reducing corruption. DfID is also supporting the development of a competition framework and investment climate assessment.
	In the Punjab province, DfID is helping the provincial government to develop a vision for private sector development and creation of employment opportunities. The programme focuses on improved infrastructure, reduced barriers to business and improved communication networks. DfID is also considering a large programme to improve income growth opportunities in the poorer districts of Punjab and NWFP.

Local Government: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any infrastructural audit has been untaken of accommodation available to facilitate their proposals for a re-structured seven council local government arrangement in Northern Ireland; and, if so, when the results of that audit will be made available; and
	What provision they have made for newly built accommodation to facilitate the transition from a 26 council to a seven council local government arrangement in Northern Ireland; and
	What assessment has been made of whether the present accommodation for Northern Ireland local government is better suited to a seven council or an 11 council structure.

Lord Rooker: The issue of accommodation/location of council buildings was not a consideration in the Review of Public Administration. However, it is expected that councils will need to utilise most of the existing accommodation in order to provide effective service delivery through their council areas.
	Estate decisions are and will remain the responsibility of councils. The estate sub-group of the Local Government Taskforce will consider the issues arising from making these decisions and will consider how these might be addressed.

Local Government: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which representations from corporate bodies influenced their decision to change to a seven council local government arrangement in Northern Ireland; and whether there is any working link between these bodies and local government.

Lord Rooker: In reaching final decisions on the future model for local government in Northern Ireland, Ministers took into account the full range of evidence gathered over the course of the Review of Public Administration including: research into the distribution of the property wealth base, population, socio and economic issues, and local identity consideration of equality, social need, population spread and where people live and work focus groups, omnibus surveys and responses to the consultation.

NCIS: Proceeds of Crime

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many suspicious activity reports were made to the National Criminal Intelligence Service under the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2003 in the calendar year 2005 and in each of the most recent three months for which records are available.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The final number of reports made to the National Criminal Intelligence Service, under the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2003 for 2005 was 194,730. For the first quarter for 2006 the number was 53,906.

NCIS: Tax Evasion

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people are currently employed by the National Criminal Intelligence Service; and how many of these are engaged in following up suspicions of tax evasion.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The National Criminal Intelligence Service ceased to exist on 1 April 2006 when the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was launched. Around 1,200 NCIS staff joined SOCA, together with staff from the National Crime Squad, HM Revenue and Customs and immigration officers, bringing together a total of around 4,300 people who are employed by SOCA. None of these SOCA officers will be engaged in following up suspicions of tax evasion as this is a matter for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

NHS: Cochlear Implant Treatment

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will review their management of cochlear implant treatment; and
	Whether strategic health authorities, primary care trusts or specialist commissioning groups direct cochlear implant treatment; and
	Whether they will issue guidelines on the planning of resources to provide adequate treatment for cochlear implants; and
	Whether they will recommend that primary care trusts should form commissioning groups with a view to (a) providing a higher level of implant rates and a uniform rate across the United Kingdom; and (b) setting targets for implants.

Lord Warner: Cochlear implant treatment will be advised by clinicians and agreed with patients and their families; funding approval will be given by primary care trusts or, where collectively commissioned, by local specialised commissioning groups. Currently 12 (out of 26) local specialised commissioning groups collectively commission cochlear implant services, of which 10 have a financial risk sharing arrangement.
	Although the Department of Health is responsible for setting overall policy in respect of National Health Service services, individual commissioners have a significant degree of flexibility to manage and direct their own resources in accordance with local priorities and the needs of the communities to which they are accountable.
	Although there are no current plans to review the management of cochlear implant treatment, a review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services, of which cochlear implant treatment is one, is underway and due to report to Ministers in the near future. It will make recommendations on ways to strengthen and ensure more consistent primary care trust collaborative commissioning behaviour across the country.
	The department is supporting the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, which will be working with stakeholders to develop commissioning guidelines for cochlear implants in England.

Northern Bank Robbery

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many Police Service of Northern Ireland detectives are currently and primarily tasked to investigate the £26 million Northern Bank robbery.

Lord Rooker: The Police Service of Northern Ireland resources are allocated in line with the operational needs of all current investigations. For this reason the number of officers tasked to any investigation can fluctuate.
	As this is an ongoing investigation, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the details of this policing operation at this time.

Northern Bank Robbery

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many persons have been charged and convicted in relation to the £26 million Northern Bank robbery; and
	How many people have been charged and are currently awaiting trial in relation to the £26 million Northern Bank robbery.

Lord Rooker: To date, three persons have been charged with offences connected to the Northern Bank robbery. Their cases have not yet come to trial. The investigation is ongoing.

Northern Ireland: Festivals

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there was an overpayment of £3,100 by the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure to the Ardoyne Nationalist Festival in 2004; and, if so, what were the circumstances in which the overpayment was made.

Lord Rooker: Yes, an overpayment of £3,100 was made in 2004 between the Department for Social Development and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. In June 2004, funding of up to £70,080 was allocated to the Ardoyne Festival. However, the detailed business information identified the actual shortfall as £66,980. The full amount of £70,080 was subsequently paid in error.
	Arrangements are being made to claw back the overpayment.

Official Travel: Royal Train

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any Minister, special adviser or official has travelled on the Royal train since 1997; and on each occasion (a) what was the purpose of the journey; (b) what were the starting point and destination; (c) what was the estimated cost of the journey; and (d) whether a member of the Royal Family was present during the journey.

Lord Davies of Oldham: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions on 19 April 2000 (Official Report, col. 490W). The position has not changed.

Palestine: UK Aid

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the system through which the European Union (EU), and the United Kingdom when acting as agents of the EU, can ensure that funds sent to Palestinian citizens for purposes such as education and health, as well as for the salaries of public sector employees, are used for legitimate rather than illegitimate purposes.

Baroness Amos: Following the appointment of the Hamas-led Government, direct aid to the Palestinian Cabinet and their ministries is no longer possible. The international donor community, including the EU and the UK, has suspended contributions to the World Bank Reform Trust Fund which provided direct budget support to the Palestinian Authority (PA). One of the reasons for this was precisely to reduce the risk of funds being misappropriated.
	The UK Government are in contact with the UN and international partners to find ways to help meet the basic needs of the Palestinian people without funding the Palestinian Government. All aid projects will continue to be covered by an agreement which sets out what funds can be used for and monitored accordingly.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of specific recommendations, the Department of Trade and Industry has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific recommendations, the Department of Health has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Lord Warner: The Department of Health has not kept central records and to obtain the information would be at disproportionate cost. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have not been occasions when we did not accept the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific recommendations, the Ministry of Defence has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Lord Drayson: Since 1997, the Ministry of Defence has refused or omitted to give effect to recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman in one case—that of the report A Debt of Honour, published in July 2005, which concerned the Far East Prisoners of War and Civilian Internee Ex Gratia Payment Scheme. The report made four recommendations; that the department should:
	review the operation of the ex-gratia scheme;
	fully reconsider the position of Professor Hayward, who had brought the complaint, and those in a similar position to him;
	apologise to Professor Hayward and to others in a similar position for the distress which the maladministration identified in the report had caused them; and
	consider whether it should express that regret tangibly.
	The department accepted immediately the third and fourth recommendations. The department initially rejected the first and second recommendations but subsequently discovered further information that led it to undertake a review of the scheme; the findings of this review were given in a Statement by my honourable friend the Minister for Veterans on 28 March (Official Report, col. 681). In his Statement, the Minister for Veterans announced that eligibility under the scheme would be extended and, on the basis of the evidence that Professor Hayward provided to the ombudsman, we would now expect him to qualify under the scheme. The Ministry of Defence has now, in effect, implemented all the recommendations in the ombudsman's report.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific recommendations, the Department for International Development has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Baroness Amos: There have been no occasions since 1997 on which DfID has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific recommendations, the Office of Fair Trading has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: On no occasion since 1997 has the Office of Fair Trading refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Pensions: Crown Guarantees

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which pension schemes now in the private sector enjoy a Crown guarantee in respect of members; and
	For each private sector pension scheme for which they have the information, how many members are covered by a Crown guarantee, broken down between (a) active; (b) deferred; and (c) retired members and
	What provisions have been made in the national accounts for the contingent liability arising from Crown guarantees given to pension schemes which are now in the private sector; and what is their estimate of the total potential liability if all these guarantees have to be honoured.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: It is a matter for the department that provided the Crown guarantee to report the Crown guarantee and any obligations created by the Crown guarantee to Parliament in accordance with the requirements of government accounting and in its departmental resource accounts in accordance with the Government's Financial Reporting Manual, which complies with generally accepted accounting practice.

Police: Complaints

Lord Beaumont of Whitley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether all complaints against the police are recorded; and, if so, where records of such complaints are kept.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Under Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002, all complaints about the conduct of the police are recordable. The police authority is solely responsible for the recording of all complaints for officers above the rank of chief superintendent, including the chief officer and the chief officer is solely responsible for recording complaints about all officers up to the rank of chief superintendent and all police staff. Records of the complaints lodged are held in the professional standards departments of each respective force and authority and statistical returns are, with effect from 1 April 2004, collated and published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Statistical information up to the 31 March 2004 is available from the Home Office website (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds). Complaints lodged about police policy and operations are not recordable.

Police: Languages

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to advise the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the case for instructing recruits in languages other than English, including Ulster-Scots.

Lord Rooker: The Government currently have no plans to advise the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the case for instructing recruits in languages, other than English.
	Police trainees in the Police Service of Northern Ireland currently receive no specific training or instruction in any other languages. However, all police officers have access to the National Interpreting Service. This service provides officers with the facility to access a wide range of interpreters that officers may require in dealing with persons from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Prisoners: Life Sentences

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment were released from custody in each of the past 10 years, including for each year the number of those released who had served less than five, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years respectively; and
	How many people are currently serving life sentences; and how many of these have served more than five, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years respectively.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Information on the number of first releases on life licence from prison establishments in England and Wales from 1995 to 2004, by time served under sentence, is given in the table below. Information on the population of life sentenced prisoners in prison establishments in England and Wales at 30 June 2004, including the number whose interval since date of initial reception on life sentence was less than five years, five to less than 10 years, 10 to less than 15 years, 15 to less than 20 years, 20 to less than 30 years and 30 years and over, is published in table 10.12 of the internet tables of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004. The internet tables for Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004 are available at the following internet address: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/omcs.html.
	
		Number of first releases on life licence from prison establishments in England and Wales by time served under sentence
		
			  Time served under sentence 
			  Less than5 years 5 to less than 10 years 10 to less than 15 years 15 to less than 20 years 20 to less than 30 years 30 or more years Total 
			 Year released on licence  
			 1995 - 20 43 18 10 1 92 
			 1996 - 13 42 24 6 - 85 
			 1997 1 16 38 30 11 2 98 
			 1998 7 18 35 31 9 - 100 
			 1999 3 29 51 28 15 2 128 
			 2000 3 24 56 34 8 2 127 
			 2001 6 26 58 37 11 - 138 
			 2002 16 30 55 28 24 - 153 
			 2003 15 32 96 48 40 6 237 
			 2004 19 48 67 43 27 1 205 
		
	
	Source: Prison IT system. Further updates and amendments may be made to records in the future resulting in revised figures.

Railways: Ballymena to Londonderry

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What investment plans they have for the railway line between Ballymena and Londonderry over the next five years.

Lord Rooker: The rail line in question is part of the lesser-used lines network which also includes the Whitehead to Larne line. In accordance with option two of the Railway Review Group report, planned investment on the lesser-used lines is designed to maintain existing levels of service and prevent further deterioration in standards.

Taxation: VAT

Lord Goodlad: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of the cost of a matching grant to cover VAT paid by charities on the cost of fundraising activities; and
	What is the most recent estimate of the amount of irrecoverable VAT paid by charities; and
	What would be the cost of a matching grant for VAT costs incurred by charities in respect of building work on charitable buildings.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on charities' non-recoverable VAT costs.

Taxation: VAT

Lord Goodlad: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will implement the exemption in Article 13A(1) of the European Union sixth VAT directive.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The UK has implemented the mandatory exemptions listed in Article 13A(1) of the EC sixth VAT directive in the VAT Act 1994. The Government are aware of representations that Article 13A(1)(f) has not been fully implemented in UK law. HM Revenue and Customs has considered a number of cases where it was claimed that Article 13A(1)(f) of the sixth VAT directive applied. In each case VAT exemption was already available under UK law, or the transactions in question did not meet all the conditions of Article 13A(1)(f).

Tourism: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the Northern Ireland Tourist Board has taken in each of the past two years to increase tourist interest in (a) Ulster-Scots culture; and (b) the Irish culture in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) views cultural tourism as a key driver for tourism growth and it is a "winning theme" in the Tourism in Northern Ireland—A Strategic Framework for Action 2004–2007.
	NITB works closely with Tourism Ireland Ltd (TIL) to ensure that Northern Ireland's culture tourism product receives maximum exposure in all of Tourism Ireland's overseas markets. In the past two years NITB has published The American Connection which tells the story of the links between Northern Ireland and north America. The publication was supported by Tourism Ireland and the Ulster-Scots Agency.
	NITB also supported the On Eagle's Wing project with a grant offer of £30,000 and TIL has undertaken Scots-Irish-specific marketing activities in the US including press adverts, lectures, consumer shows, direct mail and partnerships with airlines and carriers.
	It is important to note that in most countries the customer does not distinguish between Ulster-Scots and Irish culture.
	NITB has not undertaken any specific marketing to promote the Irish culture over the past two years. However, the 2004 August Feilé received an offer of grant of £15,000.

Tourism: Northern Ireland

Lord Rana: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many of the eight million visitors that Tourism Ireland indicated that it had helped to attract to Ireland last year included Northern Ireland in their itineraries.

Lord Rooker: The total number of overseas visitors to the island of Ireland in 2005 was 8.1 million, of whom 1.7 million visited Northern Ireland.

Ulster-Scots

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In view of the concept of parity of esteem and equality outlined in the 1998 Belfast agreement, whether they will take steps to ensure that Ulster-Scots language and culture are accorded the same status, funding and recognition as Irish languages and culture.

Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on 17 November 2005 (Official Report, col. WA 173).

Ulster-Scots

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 19 April (WA 161), why the Arts Council of Northern Ireland provides four times as much funding for Irish culture than for Ulster-Scots culture; and what steps the council is taking to make more funding available to Ulster-Scots activity.

Lord Rooker: All applications received by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland are assessed against the same criteria. There are no criteria relating specifically to Irish or Ulster-Scots culture.
	The Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency have agreed in principle to fund jointly a dedicated language arts officer for a period of three years.
	The Arts Council has also developed a draft language arts policy which takes account of extensive research carried out by the council into the needs of the language arts sector.

Ulster-Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which bodies or individuals provided background information about Ulster-Scots language, culture, identity and history which informed the relationship of the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure with the Ulster-Scots Agency.

Lord Rooker: The relationship between the department and the Ulster-Scots Agency is circumscribed in law by the North/South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) (NI) Order 1999. The agency has been and remains the Government's principal adviser on Ulster-Scots language and culture.
	Within that statutory framework, I can assure the noble Lord that there is a sound and healthy working relationship between the agency and the department based on mutual trust and recognition of their respective roles and responsibilities in supporting and promoting the Ulster-Scots language and culture.

Waterways Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 18 April (WA 224) about Waterways Ireland, since its creation, what directions have been given to the body concerning (a) employment practices; (b) staff harassment; and (c) financial control; if any directions were given, who gave them; and when they were given.

Lord Rooker: Waterways Ireland operates under the terms of the North/South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.
	I refer the noble Lord to Article 2.2 of Part 1 of Annexe 2 and to Article 3 of Schedule 2 of the order and confirm that no such directions have been issued to the body.

Zimbabwe: Aids

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To what extent they are able to provide financial support and medical intervention to children with AIDSs in Zimbabwe and whether the Government of Zimbabwe are active in co-operating with those who provide such overseas assistance.

Baroness Amos: An estimated 240,000 Zimbabwean children are living with HIV and AIDS, many of whom have lost one or both parents from AIDS-related causes. With over 3,200 deaths per week in Zimbabwe relating to AIDS, the number of orphans has already risen to approximately 1.3 million. Access to anti-retroviral therapy in Zimbabwe is presently limited, for both adults and children.
	DfID has supported HIV and AIDS prevention and mitigation programmes in Zimbabwe for a number of years. DfID is currently at an advanced stage in developing a new phase of support, jointly with other donors, which will include scaling up AIDS treatment in Zimbabwe. The aim is to establish a UN-managed multi-donor fund for procurement of anti-retroviral drugs, including paediatric formulations, that will be delivered through the public health service. This has necessarily involved UN-led technical discussions with the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, which have been constructive. No DfID funding is going directly to the Government of Zimbabwe.
	Along with other donors, DfID has also contributed £23 million to a UNICEF-led programme of support for Zimbabwe's National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. This programme offers grants to non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations and their partners at the community level. Many children with AIDS will benefit from this programme. Priorities include keeping children in school and protecting children from all forms of abuse.